Lakeland Controversy, 17-Point Comeback, & $250K Drama

This week on the PicklePod, Zane and Tice break down one of the wildest weekends of pickleball we’ve seen all year. The Lakeland Open delivered everything—controversial calls, insane comebacks, breakout stars, near meltdowns, and another dominant run from the tour’s heavy hitters. We kick things off with Part 2 of last week’s viral Create-a-Player Draft, where Zane and Tice build the ultimate women’s pickleball player. 11 categories. No duplicate picks. Maximum trash talk. The community demanded a rematch…and Tice wants revenge. From there, the guys get into all the biggest stories: Lakeland Open Chaos – The now-infamous Roscoe/Hunter match point controversy – Luca Mack’s eye-opening semifinal run – Noe's first PPA medal – The 17-point swing that shocked the men’s doubles bracket Nationals Recap – Jill Braverman's viral line call – Why a $225K event ran with no replays – PK’s first singles title • Global Pickleball Politics – The WPF, GPF, UWPF alphabet soup explained – What a potential merger means for the Olympics – Why governing bodies matter more than people realize Lakers Pickleball Tournament – Yes… the Lakers ran their own pickleball event – Luka Dončić credits pickleball for slimming down – Why NBA players might be the worst body type for dinking • Debate of the Week: If Ben and Anna Leigh were forced to split up in 2026… who wins more mixed titles? Zane and Tice go deep on the chessboard of future partnerships. 👉 Subscribe for new episodes every week and stay plugged into the fastest-growing sport in the world. There’s a completely new way to optimize your health. Give Blue Cannatine a try at https://troscriptions.com/DINK or enter BETTER at checkout for 10% off your first order. Maui Nui Venison has more protein per calorie than just about anything else out there, and it tastes unreal. Order your Ohana Reserve Box today and receive a free 12 pack of jerky sticks http://mauinuivenison.com/THEDINK Discover plant-based wellness support from Trulieve https://www.trulieve.com/?utm_medium=... Be the first to try Zane's new course here: https://tzpickleball.com/ #Pickleball #PPATour #PickleballPodcast Leave your voicemail for the PicklePod at (512) 200 - 4299 ------------------ Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify -Subscribe to our 'all things pickleball' *free e-newsletter* at https://www.thedink.beehiiv.com https://www.instagram.com/thedinkpickleball/ -Follow us on IG -Continue the convo in our private FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedi... -For everything else we do, visit https://linktr.ee/dinkfam -Read more about Zane and subscribe to his newsletter at https://zanenavratilpickleball.com/ -Follow Zane on IG @zanenavratilpickleball #pickleball #pickleballcourts ------------------ 0:00 Intro 1:56 Build a Women’s Player 13:39 Quick hits Carmel-by-the-sea + International merger 19:58 Jilly B’s controversial call 22:23 Nationals winners and Zane’s son 27:25 PPA Lakeland recap 34:13 Hunter vs Roscoe and the controversial net cord 46:33 Ben vs ALW hypothetical split 53:03 Women’s doubles and men’s match of the weekend 57:50 Luka and the Lakers host a pickleball tournament Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices